Ek Nath Dhakal

Early life and education

Dhakal was born in 1974 in the Gorkha District. He received his formal education from the Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, where he studied political science for two years followed by three years of study in sociology and anthropology. His public life started as an independent student leader and social activist carrying out humanitarian service project. He has received honors from both Nepal and abroad including the “Youth of the Year” award with gold medal in 2007. He is married to Mrs. Blessie Gadon Dhakal who is from Philippines.

Political career

In the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, the Nepal Pariwar Dal won 1 seat through the Proportional Representation vote. The party selected Dhakal as its representative in the assembly.

Dhakal served on various parliamentary committees such as the Security Special Committee, International Relations and Human Rights Committee and Constitutional Committee during 2008-2012. Dhakal also serves as secretary general of the Youth Federation of World Peace Asia.

In 2009, Dhakal made a statement on the agenda entitled Towards Global Partnerships, at the Second Committee of the United Nations' 64th session of the General Assembly.

On October 31, 2010, the magazine Nepal Weekly published by Kantipur Publications criticized Dhakal for the arrangements surrounding Vice President Parmanand Jha's visit to South Korea on October 7, 2010. Dhakal brought Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea to Nepal to promote relations between Nepal and S Korea.

Dhakal serves in the Constitutional Committee of the Constituent Assembly and was appointed as a cabinet Minister on May 16, 2012; he is the first Minister for Ministry of Co-operatives and Poverty Alleviation (Nepal) of the Government of Nepal. Dhakal is a convener of the South Asia Peace Initiatives (SAPI) and is involved in Nepal's ongoing peace process. In January 2013, Dhakal told the international community that Nepalese political leaders are capable to short out the political deadlock of the country.

On January 24, 2013, Dhakal met with the Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, India. Dhakal has undertaken a poverty alleviation project in the Gorkha district, with the aim to improve condictions for the 25.2% poor people of the country.

Dhakal is a comparative new figure in Nepalese politics and in February 2013, His name was brought out by Nepalese media as a possible candidate for Prime Minister, to lead Nepal's consensus government for the purpose of holding elections. Dhakal launches National Public Awareness Campaign with motto "Nation and People First" throughout the nation. Dhakal's party "Nepal Pariwar Dal" announced candidates in all 240 constituency of Nepal for the election of the Constituent Assembly scheduled on November 19, 2013. On October 9, 2013, Dhakal claimed that Nepal Pariwar Dal is fourth political power in Nepal. Dhakal wishes to develop his party as alternative democratic forces in his country.

Dhakal is re-elected in the Nepalese Constituent Assembly election, 2013 for four years term. Dhakal serves in the most powerful parliamentary committee Public Accounts Committee. Dhakal serves as Global Vice President of Sun Moon University based in Korea. Dhakal also a Member of the Parliamentarians for Global Action based in United States of America. Dhakal advocates Universality and said at one of the religious function organized in his district Gorkha that representatives do not belong to a particular religion and ethnicity instead they represent the whole country and goodness of all faiths. Ek Nath Dhakal founded Parliamentary Peace Council (PPC Nepal) for building a culture of peace based on rule of law, democracy, service and universally shared values on November 6, 2014. The inaugural assembly was presided by Speaker of the Legislature Parliament of Nepal Subash Chandra Nembang and lawmakers from Nepal and India were in attendance. Peace advocate Dhakal is active in promoting multidimensional peace in South Asia.

Ek Nath Dhakal is a pro traditional family values activist. He organized a "Multicultural Family Educational Peace Festival 2015" at Dasarath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal on February 21, 2015 which attracted seventy thousand people. Dhakal urged India that its "unequivocal recognition" of Nepalese constitution would go a long way in reducing the current tensions and restoring cordial relations between the two countries during his meeting with Indian politicians in New Delhi on October 4, 2015. Ek Nath Dhakal is appointed as Minister for the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction (Nepal) by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.